I know there at least few other OOers that own this game, and may find the following to be useful.

Basically, I extracted the images from some of the most-highly rated user-created files available for the game from BoardGameGeek, and modified them for the purposes of creating 8x10 photo prints at the Costco Photo Center (which only cost $1.79 each to print). So I didn't create these files, I merely adjusted the aspect ratios of the images for 8x10 printing without any distortion. I would also suggest laminating them with 10-mil laminate, though that's somewhat optional for the Battle Mat. However, it's important for the schematic player aids, so that players can then use wet-erase markers to mark planets accordingly and easily erase once the game is over. Staples charges around $2.50 each for 10-mil lamination, if memory serves.

First is the Battle Mat with 2 Theater Presentation, which provides a nifty immersive environment depicting both space and planet/ground theaters, and easily handles even the largest of battles (which can otherwise become a rather frustrating and fiddly experience on the game board). I used "Battle Mat ver b (No Intra-Theater Dividers)":

(click to embiggen)

Next is the Interactive Schematic Player Aid. This is primarily intended for Imperial players, and greatly reduces downtime from rubbernecking between their Probe Droid cards and the board, as well as providing a useful visual reference of planets explored with ground units. However, it also contains all of the resource icons and numbers for populous systems, which can be very useful for discreet planning purposes on both sides, especially for teams in the 4-player game.

Here's the map from the Imperial perspective, with Coruscant at the bottom:(click to embiggen)

And here's the map from the Rebel perspective, with Coruscant at the top:(click to embiggen)

Daehawk wrote:Ha I like that first one. thought about making something like that into a pc / mouse mat? One of those big ones? Not sure how it could work but would look cool.

That may well be an option for those so inclined, though I suspect it'd require the use of a different aspect ratio and print service. I was just after a cheap, easy way of printing the player aids for the board game in great quality, which the Costco Photo Center delivers in spades.

killbot737 wrote:That silhouetted font was a really strange decision. It makes reading the system names very difficult. You should fix them up with black letters.

The outline font was a somewhat peculiar design decision. Fortunately, it does look better in the high quality photo prints available from Costco than on screen though, and is readable (IMO, it stands out better against the shaded background vs. the alternate white background version for economy printing that's also included in the PDF).

Modifying the font used in the PDF is just more trouble than it's worth for me, as it'd likely require removing and replacing all of the text entirely. It'd be much simpler for the creator to produce a solid font version from his original design, so I'm somewhat surprised he hasn't already done so. I'd suggest contacting him via GeekMail on BGG if you'd strongly prefer a solid font version though, as it ought not require much in the way of additional effort on his part to make one.

"Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right." -- H. L. Mencken

BTW, I was browsing around earlier today looking at the various custom inserts and such available for Star Wars: Rebellion, in the hopes of locating something to minimise game setup time, and that preferably wouldn't cost an arm and leg, nor require assembly/gluing. Anyway, I came across exactly what I was after with Zen Bins Rebellion Custom Storage Trays:

ZenBins.com wrote:Zen Bins Rebellion Custom Trays are the flagship Rapid Deployment Storage System that will securely store everything from Star Wars: Rebellion™ and nearly eliminate game setup time. You can play directly from the trays with easy tilt card sections and rounded edges for fast and smooth component removal.

Faction trays stack onto each other and are separated by a single game board which serves as a separator/lid. The next game board goes on top with the rule books and the box lid will securely hold everything in place.

I am going to get the insert from Meeple Realty because it has room for expansions.

"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein"The law's totally on my side, the president can't have a conflict of interest.” - Trump"When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal. - Nixon

FWIW, the Zen Bins trays also claim to provide extra space on top to accommodate expansion items. And given how little we know about future expansion plans, that's likely about all one can reasonably expect at this point. Realistically, "room for expansions" doesn't seem like a practical or desirable feature as things stand, at least until further details emerge as to the size and shape of expansion pieces that can be expected. It's all just guesswork otherwise, and inserts for games like this are likely better designed with the exact pieces in mind.

It also strikes me that the Zen Bins aim for the absolute quickest and simplest game setup possible (i.e. just hand the appropriate Rebel/Empire trays to each player, and everything stays where it is until needed on the board). And for a lengthy game such as this, that seems like a definite plus.

"Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right." -- H. L. Mencken

Scoop20906 wrote:Great thread. I'm going to save up for the Zen Bin and the battlemap is awesome. That will really make the battles more fun.

Indeed, the Battle Map looks remarkable in print, and certainly ought to add some welcome additional thematic flavour to the battles.

Which reminds me, for all the flak the combat system in the game has received, I've noticed that relatively few video reviews/run-throughs appear to handle it correctly at all, e.g. you often see people using dice as damage markers, and only using the damage markers on units with multiple HP (which would be cumbersome and ineffective with anything more than a few units). During my first few games, we just kept the "Learn to Play" book open on page 14 during all combat, which helped cement the correct flow of play for us.

"Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right." -- H. L. Mencken

I received my Zen Bins Rebellion Custom Storage Trays yesterday, and I have to say, they're balls awesome.

The primary aggravation I had with this game was the process of setting it up and putting it away in a timely manner, and keeping the copious variety of components safely and sufficiently organised. For me, the Zen Bins trays are almost exactly how I wish the game would have ideally arrived in the first place; it's a remarkably practical and functional design. I also very much appreciated that no assembly was required, because as attractive as custom wooden inserts can be, I've dealt with inserts for other games that took hours to assemble, and futzing around with glue and assembly instructions can often become an exercise in frustration. These trays function exactly as described, and it's difficult to imagine a design that could be any quicker in terms of being ready for immediate setup (i.e. you just hand each player their trays, and pieces are placed on the board directly from them). The Empire and Rebels receive two trays each, one that houses all of the Leaders, cards, and other tokens (along with the three Death Star miniatures in the Empire Leader Tray), and another that holds and organises the impressive array of miniatures (and dice in the Rebel Unit Tray), as depicted below:

The Four Trays:(Click to embiggen)

Basic Layout:(Click to embiggen)

Leader Trays:(Click to embiggen)

Another feature worthy of mention here, is the tremendous visibility the Zen Bins Leader Trays provide (notice how easy it is to clearly read all the stat symbols on the Leaders shown here). This was one of the more frustrating aspects of playing the game without a proper organiser, as comparing stats of Leaders during the Recruitment Phase was previously quite inconvenient, and tended to needlessly slow the game down. You either keep the 24 Leaders in the game box without being able to see them properly and pull them out as needed, or find somewhere else upon the table to arrange them all during play, both of which are rather troublesome. Thankfully, the arrangement of the Zen Bins Leader Trays provides perfect clarity of all Leaders and their stats, without ever needing to touch anything at all, which is a hugely efficient improvement, IMO.

Unit Trays:(Click to embiggen)

However, while this wasn't a concern for me, I could envision one potential downside of this design, as it may be awkward for those with limited table space. The trays do require even more table space, which may present a problem given the already prodigious footprint of the game as is. As for organisation though, I couldn't be happer; the compartments of these trays literally house each and every component safely and securely. There's even a nifty 'hidden' storage area for attachment rings located beneath the Rebel Objective Deck and the Empire Projects Deck, as shown here:

Attachment Ring Storage:(Click to embiggen)

In summary, as long as table space isn't an issue, I'd say this is an outstanding storage and organisation solution, and give it my strongest recommendation. Everything fits snugly and securely within the box; even when the box is stored vertically, everything remains perfectly intact. The fact that no assembly is required, and that it's also surprisingly affordable (as compared to custom wooden inserts) is a great bonus, too. Considering the typical playtime this game requires, finding a suitable product to minimise set-up and break-down is almost mandatory. Because time wasted upon the process of setting up and putting away, is time better spent on the immensely enjoyable underlying gameplay (thereby increasing the likelihood of getting the game to the table). In that regard, the Zen Bins Trays absolutely deliver in spades.

My wood inserts from Meeple Realty arrive early next week. I have wood glue, toothpicks and clamps so assembly is easy for me.

"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein"The law's totally on my side, the president can't have a conflict of interest.” - Trump"When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal. - Nixon

Thanks very much for the detailed review. That looks awesome. Sadly, my table space is very limited, so I don't think it would work for me (Rebellion squeezes my available space to the absolute limit).

"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein"The law's totally on my side, the president can't have a conflict of interest.” - Trump"When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal. - Nixon

Great, I look forward to seeing the results of your handiwork, so do keep us posted. "The Rebel Outpost" definitely looks to be one of the best options for custom wooden inserts (from what I can tell, it appears to offer better visibility of the Leaders than the pricier Daedalus insert).

"Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right." -- H. L. Mencken

insert was completed on Sunday, but spent the whole day taking care of the kids. Work has exploded, but I do have pictures to post soon. I also put together the Meeple Realty insert for Twilight Struggle that fits my unsleeved Second Edition and Kickstarter promo cards.

"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein"The law's totally on my side, the president can't have a conflict of interest.” - Trump"When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal. - Nixon

Ready to play next to half of the game board -- two card boxes are on the board:

I also ordered their Twilight Struggle insert. It fits my Deluxe Edition and the Kickstarter extras with the cards unsleeved. Really nice, but I pressed with too much force during the build and ended up with a hairline crack in the notch where the token bay top secures. I just have to be careful when opening.

"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein"The law's totally on my side, the president can't have a conflict of interest.” - Trump"When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal. - Nixon

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:I'm very tempted. I'm also thinking about getting it for my nephew (he loves Axis and Allies and likes Star Wars well enough), but then I would only get to play it when I visit...

Tish pshaw. Just use it as a convenient opportunity to induce the lady in your life to play it with you ("I thoughtfully acquired this game at a bargain price for my nephew; would you mind helping me play a few games, so that I can properly teach him how it's played?")

Rest assured, the tension involved in playing an asymmetrical game of underdog vs. oppressor hide and seek like this is remarkably compelling; all the moreso if you're playing with someone who has even a vague recollection of the Original Trilogy movies.

"Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right." -- H. L. Mencken

I look fairly regularly at BGG's hot deals forum and it seems that there are these sketchy retailers that pop-up with amazing deals pretty regularly. I think in most cases, people that take the plunge end up having to get refunded through Amazon.

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:I look fairly regularly at BGG's hot deals forum and it seems that there are these sketchy retailers that pop-up with amazing deals pretty regularly. I think in most cases, people that take the plunge end up having to get refunded through Amazon.

Yeah, I'm not sure what their angle is, but I strongly suspect the chances of actually receiving the game for such an absurdly low price are somewhere between slim to none.

For that matter, given that the game has an MSRP of $99.95, and currently sells for $69.99 + shipping from CSI and $84.99 + shipping from MM, I suspect you'd also be hard-pressed to acquire it at the $51 price tag you mentioned. According to CamelCamelCamel, Amazon's lowest price for the game was $61.78 on March 18, 2017, and based on their data, the current price on Amazon remains a good deal.

"Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right." -- H. L. Mencken

It's definitely a good deal, but now I know that there have been better deals! But really, my main hang-up remains the same. I'm not sure it's a game my girlfriend will be that into, and so actually getting it to the table more than once (she'll always humor me with a game once) might be tricky.

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:It's definitely a good deal, but now I know that there have been better deals! But really, my main hang-up remains the same. I'm not sure it's a game my girlfriend will be that into, and so actually getting it to the table more than once (she'll always humor me with a game once) might be tricky.

Perhaps, but as long as you're able to get it to the table once, I sincerely doubt it; the basic gameplay is deceptively simple and the excitement of playing hide and seek on an interstellar scale is terrifically engaging for each side. The game also looks remarkably impressive when spread out upon your table. However, I would strongly recommend you have her play as the Empire for your first game, as their overall strategy tends to be easier to comprehend for most new players. The Rebel side necessitates playing sneaky and coy, which can be hard to pull off when initially learning the rules and strategies of the game at the same time. So I think it's generally more fun for a new player to feel the overwhelming power of the Empire, even if they're ultimately unsuccessful in finding the Rebel base. Although if you use the recommended first game set-up from the 'Learn to Play' book, I suspect she'd probably win as the Empire, too (I could be mistaken, but I think that set-up slightly favours the Empire), which may increase the likelihood of subsequently getting the game to the table.

"Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right." -- H. L. Mencken